Friction clutch



A ril 14, 1931. K. TESSKY FRICTION CLUTCH Filed'April 16, 1.928

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Patented Apr. 14, 1931 UNITED STATES KARL TESSKY, OF ESSLINGEN-ON-THE-NECKAR, GER-MANY FRICTION Application filed April 16, 1928, Serial No.

a of the clutch at the same time.

By way of example I shall describe my invention as applied to an automatic ma chine tool which is equipped with a threading appliance. In machines of this kind as heretofore constructed suitable means for reliable lubrication of the friction clutch for reversing the rotation of the driven shaft have not been available. A double-conical clutch member is carried on the shaft so as V to be displaced thereon but held against rotation with respect to the shaft, and is alter nately connected with one out of a pair of pulleys rotating in opposite directions. The pulleys are provided with. hollow conical faces for the reception of the movable memher and are actuated by belts the driving pulleys of which are usually arranged below the pulleys on the driven shaft.

In all machines of this type the friction faces are lubricated by means of a passage which extends radially from the face of the pulleys and is normally closed by a screw plug. In modern highoutput machines it is necessary to renew the lubricant several times per day. This is a rather complrcated and tedious operation as it necessitates throwing oifthe belt from its drlving pulley, lifting it from the surface of the clutch pulley, turning the pulley so as to place the plug on top, unscrewing the plug, filhng 1n the lubricant, closing the plug, and replacing the belt, care being taken to prevent oil getting at the belt. I

Obviously this operatlon 18 not only con1- plicated and tedious but also involves heavy loss of time, as the machine must be arrested while it is being performed, and the danger of soiling the belt is always present notwithstanding careful manipulation. Leakage of oil through the plug is also posslble CLUTCH 270,431, and in Germany April 25, 1927.

on account of the high centrifugal action at the speed of the pulley which is about 4000 revolutions per minute." If this happens, not only the belt is soiled, but the lubricant is carried away from the point where it is required so that running dry and damage to the lubricated faces are inevitable.

Another drawback of the old system is that it is often neglected to renew the lubricant on account of the inconvenience connected with this operation. U

These drawbacks are overcome in my invention as the supply of the lubricant from a stationary bearing or from the lubricant supplying means of the hearing by any approved means such as automatic lubricators, distributors and the like does not involve any difliculties.

In reducing my invention to practice I provide a lubricant chamber in connection with a stationary bearing or bearings and an overflow leading from this chamber and supplyinglubricant to the bearing of the pulley or' pulleys. From this bearing the lubricant passes through another overflow to the faces of the friction clutch. The first overflow is spaced farther from the axis of the stationary bearing than the inner bearing face, and the second overflow is spaced still farther from the axis, so that the lubricant will flow from the stationary bearing across the rotary (pulley) bearing to the operative face of the rotary clutch member under the action of gravity.

In the drawing accompaying this specification and forming-part thereof, a lubricating device embodying my invention is illustrated diagrammaticallyby way of example in section along the axis of. the friction clutches.

Referring now to the drawings, 1 is a spindle, 2 is a bearing block and 3 and 4 are bearings at the ends of the block for support ing the spindle 1. The bearings 3 and 4 are equipped with brasses 5 and 8, and lubricating rings 6 and 9, respectively, the brasses being slotted for the reception of the rings. 7 is a distance sleeve on the spindle 1 by which the spindle is mounted to rotate in thebrass 5. The brass 8 bears directly onthe spindle.

the spindle 1, is a shoulder on the spindle near the bearing 4, and 16 and 17 are ball bearings adapted to absorb thrust, which are held in position by the sleeves 7 and 14 and'the shoulder 15. 20 is a thrust washer which abuts against the outer end of the sleeve 7 and 21 is a nut on the threaded end 22 of the spindle 1 which exerts thrust on the outer end of the sleeve 7 through the medium of the washer 20, so as to hold assembled the parts on the spindle.

Splined on the sleeve 14 is clutching member 23 which is reciprocatedthrough the medium of a ring24, from a suitable lever, not shown. 25 and 26'are tapering clutching faces at'the ends of the member;23, and 27 and 28 are tapering seats in the pulleys 18 and 19 for the rec'eptionof-the clutching faces. The clutching member 23 is displaced on the sleeve 14'so as'to connect the pulley 18 or the pulley 19 withthe spindle. By these means the spindle 1 is rotated in one direction when connectedwith the pulley 18 and in the opposite' direction when connected with the pulley 19.

Lubricant is 'supplied'to the oil chambers 31 and 32 of the bearings 3'and'4,respeCtive 1y, through pipes 29 and '30,. respectively. 33 and 34 are passages in the lower faces of the brasses 5' andv 8, respectively, which convey oil from the oil-wells 31 and 32' to the ball bearings 16 and 17 of the adjacent pulleys 18 and 19. i

f Considering first the bearing 3, the oilfronr the, passage .33'tends to flow uniformly to either side 'ofthe brass 5., but at the outer end of the bearing the flow is arrested by the thrust washer 20 and the clearance 37 at the end of thefnut lO'which is so small as to prevent escape .of' oil. The washer 20 is supplied with iust'the amount of oil'itrequires but the bullr of the. oil flows toward the inner end of the bearing where a wide passage is provided betweenatubular flange at-the outer. end-of thenut 11 andthe sleeve 7, so that the oil isconducted toward the ball hearing lfijandlfin'ally creepsto the cooperating faces 25 and 27' atthe pulley 18 after lubricating the ball bearing 16.

41 is an inwardly projecting flange on the pulley 18Yat-the end of the ball bearing which faces the clutching member 23, the. inside diameter, of 'whiclrflange is much larger,- than the outside diameter of the sleeve 14. 39 is an annular nut which is inserted in thefpulley 18at'theendwhich is opposite the flange 41 and surrounds the tubular. flange-of the passage 35in the nut11 at a slight clearance which is much smaller than thepassage at the flange 41, so that the oil flows toward the faces 25' and 27under centrifugal'action, and

the pulley and the clutching member 23 is designed on quite similar lines with a passage 36 in an annularfiange of the-nut 12 and an inwardly projecting flange 42 in the pulley 19, but in this instance-the passage. 34 inthe brass 8 onlyextends toward. the passage 36 and not to either side as does'thevpassage-33 of the brass 5, because-the bearing'41is. without the thrust'washer 20 of the bearing 3 and therefore lubrication isnot required: at

the outer end of the bearing; 381432610511.- ance in the nut- 13 for the; spindle 1 which corresponds to the clearance 37' at thenutlO, and is an annular nutin the pulley 19 which corresponds to: the annular. nut 39; of the pulley 18. Thelubrication oftheball bearing 17 and the-faces 26 and 28*ati;the

clutching mem'ber23 and the pulley 19, respectively, is effected from the oil well32-and made up from the pipe-30,.exactly/ashescribed with reference torthe lubrication of t the ballbearing 16 Oilis suppliedstozthfi pipes 29-a-ndf30in small quantities ,normally drops, and there-is no continuousflow of oil in the passages. Theoi-lflows-from the-bearings of the spindle at 3 and 4toward the-ball bearings 16 and 1;7 under the action ofngravity andto theclutching-facesunder centrifugal action. j

It will appear that 'thefirst andsecond overflows referred f to in the introduction for conducting lubricant-from either ofthe bearings and4 which may betermed stationary bearings, to the adjacent roller or; rotary bearings 16 and" 17, arest'eppediin the-manner of a cascade: Y In this mannerinstead of the usual means by which only periodic lubrication of 'thc bearings is permittedwith considerable=difthe pulley bearings. t

I wish it to be understoodthat-Tide not desire to be limited-tothe exact details of construction shown and described for; obyious modifications will occur to 'a person skilled in the art. A lclaimzj. V a 1. A friction clutch comprising a'shafti two cooperating clutch jmembers l on: said; sl1aft,

faces preferably including the lubrication of ported, a clutch member adapted to be displaced on and to partake in the rotation of said shaft, clutch members on said shaft adapted to rotate independently thereof in opposite direction and to be alternately engaged by said displaceable part, and cascadelike stepped means for conducting lubricant from said stationary hearings to the bearings and to the friction faces of said oppositely rotating members.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

KARL TESSKY.

necting said lubricant chamber with said rotary bearing, and another overflow conmeeting the bottom portion of said rotary bearing with the operative face of said other clutch member.

3. A friction clutch comprising a shaft, a stationary bearing supporting said shaft, a clutch member splined on said shaft, a bearing surrounding said shaft for rotation relative thereto, another clutch member supported by said rotary bearing, a lubricant chamber near the bottom of said stationary bearing, and an overflow connecting said chamber with said rotary bearing.

l. A friction clutch comprising a shaft, a stationary bearing supporting said shaft, a clutch member splined on said shaft, a hearing surrounding said shaft for rotation relative thereto, another clutch member sup ported by said rotary bearing, a lubricant chamber near the bottom of said stationary bearing, an overflow connecting said chamber with said rotary bearing, and another overflow connecting the bottom portion of said rotary bearing with the operative face of said other clutch member.

5. A friction clutch comprising a shaft, two cooperating clutch members on said shaft, a stationary bearing for said shaft, a lubricant chamber near the bottom of said stationary bearing, a rotary bearin for the other clutch member and an over ow connecting said lubricant chamber with said rotary bearing, said overflow being spaced farther from the axis of said stationary bearing than the inner face of said bearing.

6. A friction clutch comprising a shaft, two cooperating clutch members on said shaft, a stationary bearing for said shaft, a lubricant chamber near the bottom of said stationary bearing, a rotary bearing for the other clutch member, an overflow connecting said lubricant chamber with said rotary bearing and another overflow connecting the bottom portion of said rotary bearing with the operative face of said other clutch member, said first overflow being spaced farther from the axis of said stationary bearing than the inner face of said bearing, and said other overflow being spaced still farther apart from said axis than said first overflow.

7. A friction clutch comprising a shaft, stationary hearings in which said shaft is sup- 

